


I Wasn't Acting

by startrekkingaroundasgard



Series: 25 days of ficmas [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Christmas Dinner, F/F, Fake Dating, M/M, but actually having feelings, festive fluff, pretending to date, with the family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 10:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16808956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard
Summary: The reader brings Natasha home as their ‘date’ for Christmas to get their family to stop interfering in their love life.Day 2 of the 25 days of ficmas





	I Wasn't Acting

“Thank you for agreeing to do this, Nat,” you said, your grip tight on the steering wheel as you pulled in to your parents’ driveway. “I am sick of them trying to set me up with people. I mean, I’m an Avenger for goodness sake! I don’t want to date Emma from school or Mr Masratti’s son, who really admires what I’m doing in New York.”

“Hey, calm down,” Natasha said, reaching across the seat and squeezing your arm comfortingly. She knew how much you hated your parents’ interference in your personal life. It was half the reason that you moved across the country to take the job with SHIELD, and eventually the Avengers, in the first place. “It’s gonna be alright.”

You took a deep breath, relaxing into her touch. Natasha always had that effect on you. There was something about her composure in the face of danger that kept you level and, while this may not have been quite on the same level as storming a HYDRA base, convincing your parents that you were in a real relationship with the superspy seemed just as terrifying. Placing your hand over hers, you smiled warmly. “Really, thank you for doing this. You are are truly a life saver for stepping in so last minute.”

“You know I’d do anything for you, Y/N.”

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

Despite your cheerful determination, you made no attempt to move until Natasha unclipped your seatbelt and removed the keys from the ignition. She even reached across to open your door, sensing that you wouldn’t leave the safety of the car if she didn’t. Pocketing the keys so you couldn’t change your mind and drive away, Natasha took your hand and walked you up to the door.

You lifted your hand to the doorbell but froze, a last wave of uncertainty flowing through you. “Are you sure that they’re gonna buy it? What if they realise we aren’t really dating? I would never live it down if… Natalia, are you okay?”

Natasha smiled at your use of her real name (you were the only one who dared) but you realised then just how nervous she was about this, even though she hid it well. In all the years that you’d known her, you’d never once seen her pursue a “serious” relationship. Like you, she favoured intense, short lived flings over long term commitments. It was far easier with the life you all led to enjoy a few weeks of bliss and then move on without getting attached.

Relationships only ever ended badly in your line of work. If a partner didn’t get sick of missed dinners and late nights or couldn’t deal with the lows that came after particularly difficult mission, outside forces always tried to use the people you loved as leverage against you. It wasn’t fair to put people through that, especially not if you cared about them.

That’s why short flings were so great. You could have fun for a bit but then walk away before it got too serious. Never, not once, did either you or Natasha go so far as to meet your partners’ parents. You may not have been actually dating but she was still meeting your family and that couldn’t be easy for her.

“How do I look?” Natasha asked, smoothing down the skirt on her dress anxiously.

You had never seen her so tense about anything so put on your most dazzling smile and said truthfully, “You look amazing, as always. Just let me fix your lipstick…”

Reaching up, you rubbed your thumb over the corner of her mouth and tidied up a small smudge from where she’d been nervously chewing her lips. You stood frozen like that for a long moment, unable to pull away, entranced by her beauty, but before either of you could gather the courage to speak the front door swung open.

“Darling, you’re here!” your mother exclaimed, pulling both you and Natasha in for a tight hug. When she finally released you from her grip, she looked you both over and sighed - a reaction you’d come to expect every time you visited.

Shaking her head at your tattered jeans and un-ironed shirt, she said, “You could have worn something clean, Y/N. At least your girlfriend made an effort and so beautiful she is too! I’m so sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Jaclyn and of course you must be Natalia. Y/N has told us so much about you! Come, let me introduce everyone else.”

Natasha glanced back at you concernedly as your mother shepherded her into the living room but you simply shrugged. Your mother was a force to be reckoned with and it was worthless trying to stand in her way. You’d rather take on a hundred super villains any day.

Barely ten steps later, your senses were assaulted by the traditional festive spread.

Almost the entire family was there, squashed into the tiny room. Far too many people were wearing dodgy Christmas jumpers or crappy Santa hats from the dollar store. The kids were spread out on the floor and had pulled the tinsel from the tree. They were weaving it into their hair, except from one of your little cousins who was using the shiny strands to aggravate the cat. Just your everyday organised chaos.

As always, your mother had gone completely overboard with the food. In fact, it seemed as if she was truly aiming to kill everyone this year with the sheer amount of food, ranging from pasta and curries all the way to tiny pizzas and sausage rolls. There was far too many plates to fit on the dining table alone, so the desk from your father’s study had been re-homed for the evening and covered in the tackiest red and gold plastic tablecloth you’d ever seen. While it all smelled amazing, you feared for the safety of your waistband.

There were wreaths and stockings over the fireplace, including the embarrassingly terrible ones you’d made as a child at school. Natasha smiled to herself when she ran her fingers over the messy stitching of your name, the image in her mind of you as a kid hating every minute of the activity only growing stronger when your mother whipped out a photo album full of pictures depicting your early years.

“Mother!” you groaned, snatching the photo album and closing it firmly shut.

Natasha pulled it gently from your hands and slipped it under the edge of the sofa on which you both sat, recognising the look in your eyes which said you were all but ready to burn the damned thing. Linking her fingers with yours, she murmured softly, “You shouldn’t be embarrassed. I think you were adorable.”

With so much chatter in the room making it difficult to hear, you almost thought that Natasha actually said are, not were, but you pushed the thought aside as just a (hopeful) trick of your imagination.

The afternoon gently rolled along and you found yourself having a great time. Natasha was getting on great with your family, which wasn’t surprising. Every now and then she would burst out laughing at something one of your weird uncles had said and would glance in your direction with what you could only describe as an adoring gaze. It was in those moments that you had to remind yourself that this was all an act and of course Natasha was simply playing the part like you had asked.

A few hours into the visit, your elderly grandfather arrived and immediately swept you up in his frail arms. You’d missed him the most of your family, he being the only one who had ever completely supported you moving across the country to go work for SHIELD. He had always believed in you and it was so good to see him again.

Adamant that he deserved the spot on the sofa and that you were more than happy to sit on the ground, Natasha caught your hand and pulled you in to her lap. She draped your legs over the arm of the chair and wrapped her arms around your waist.

“Is this okay?” she whispered in your ear, her warm breath against your neck sending a shiver down your spine. You felt her relax when you nodded (a little too enthusiastically) amazed by just how tense she’d been as she waited for you answer. Resting her chin on your shoulder, your cheeks pressed together, she breathed happily, “Good.”

Natasha drew random patterns on your thighs with her fingers, seemingly unaware of the action as she tuned back into the conversations around you. It wasn’t long until talk turned on you two and your work and life back in New York. She launched into the story of how you’d met, describing how she’d found you tied to a chair in a warehouse full of explosives and giving you absolutely no chance to explain that it had been your quick thinking that saved your asses in the end.

Instead, she told them how she’d known from that first moment that you were the one for her. Beautiful in the face of danger, like a true avenging angel ready to protect her - a stranger at the time - from impending death. All while wearing a smile that could have shamed the sun. Natasha never took her gaze off of you as she spoke the words and you wished, how you wished, that there had been truth in them.

Your family were swept away by the stories she regaled about how terrible you were to live with and all the ridiculous things you’d done in the name of saving the world. There was laughter and smiles all around, a relaxed atmosphere that was unlike the normal family gatherings you had. Natasha had them completely wrapped around her little finger and you knew that they completely bought the lie that you two were really a couple.

“Barton wasn’t wrong about your acting skills,” you whispered when the attention finally turned away from you both. “They believe every word. You almost had me fooled there, too.”

Natasha was a lot quieter after that. The evening rolled on until it was finally time to bring out the desserts. You immediately volunteered yourself and Natasha to help your mother sort them. Taking her hand, you guided your date to the kitchen and began plating up the miniature cakes and tarts.

Dusting a pile of cookies with some icing sugar, you looked over at Natasha and asked gently, “Are you okay? Did someone say something? Was it my uncle? I know he sounds like a dick but that’s because he is one. You don’t have to listen a word that his ignorant ass says.”

“No, Y/N. Your uncle is fine.”

Not letting her brush you off so easily, you handed the plate to your mother and got to work on cutting one of the Christmas puddings into slices. Your grip tight around the knife, you pushed, “Was it someone else, then? It can’t have been Grandma because she hasn’t had nearly enough to drink yet. I swear to god if my cousin’s wife said something…”

Catching the slightest change in her expression, you let go of the knife and threw your hands in the air. “She didn’t! How dare that bitch say something awful about you when you are the fiercest, most loyal, beautiful, amazingly brave person in the…”

Out of nowhere, Natasha cupped your face and kissed you. It was fierce and desperate, her hand sliding beneath your t-shirt, her deft fingers gripping your waist bruisingly hard as she pulled you closer. You arched your body, chasing each and every hungry kiss. Every touch as her fingers caressed your skin was filled with a burning desire to close the gap between you, to bring you together until you didn’t know where you ended and when Natasha began.

You ran your fingers through Natasha’s hair, tugging gently on the curls. She moaned against your lips, pushing you against the nearest surface and taking back the control. Her hands were warm against your skin, igniting the fire within you.

As quickly as she’d come on to you, Natasha suddenly ran cold and jumped away from you. Her cheeks were flushed and her perfect lipstick smudged but she didn’t care. “I’m sorry,” she said, almost frantically. “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just… I wasn’t acting.”

“What?”

“I’m a good actress but not that good. Everything I said to your family, how I feel for you, it wasn’t a lie. You are the one for me. No one in the world quite compares to you, Y/N.”

You stepped forward and lifted your hand to her face, stroking her cheek before gently kissing her on the lips once again. This was soft and pure but seemed so much more intense than the passionate kisses you had shared only moments before. “All this time, I thought you I was stupid for hoping. My beautiful Natalia. In case I haven’t made it clear, I feel exactly the same way. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“Without staying for dessert? I really did like the look of that cake,” Natasha teased, her arms snaking around your hips.

Reaching over to the table, you swiped some icing off the cake and brought it to Natasha mouth. She sucked the sweet frosting from your finger, her eyes darkening as she pulled you even closer. Brushing your lips against hers once again, tasting the lingering sweetness, you said, “There, you’ve had some cake. I promise what I have in mind is way better than dessert.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought!


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